Get advice on how to deal with jerks at work Check out the book 'Jerks At Work' and other titles by Ken Lloyd Ph.D. Return to the JerksAtWork.com homepage Learn more about Ken Lloyd, Ph.D. Submit a question to Ken Lloyd, Ph.D.
 

You asked, Ken answers ...

This item is filed under these categories:
Tests Feedback Oversimplification

My boss came into work this morning with some kind of a personality test based on picking colors. He said he used it with his family and it is very accurate. He asked me to pick a few colors, and then he looked up the choices in his book and said that my selections mean that my energy level could be higher and I should listen more carefully to other people. Is there anything to this test?



The area of personality testing is indeed colorful, and there are some tests out there that purport to link color choice to personality. For the most part, these tests are parlor games, and, as such, are best confined to the parlor.

The feedback that you received on the color test sounds about as reliable and profound as what you might have heard if your boss had brought in some fortune cookies. Frankly, everyone could use a little more energy, and who should not listen more carefully?

If your boss is truly interested in gaining some insight into the personalities of his employees, there is a great test out there. It is called human behavior. If your boss wants to figure out who among the staff is energetic, responsible, extroverted, industrious, sociable, or anything else, all he has to do is observe the way in which the employees behave each day.

Hopefully your manager will not be foolish enough to let the so-called findings of this test influence his opinion of you. If he does, then the test is inadvertently providing a great deal of insight into his personality.



Comment on this item

Your name (optional)
If you leave this blank, we'll list you as "Website visitor"


Your comments
Please keep your comments focused on the topic. Thanks!